Introduction

B'nai Brith Canada has been at the forefront of the battle
against anti-Semitism, racism and bigotry for more than a
century. Through the League for Human Rights, B'nai Brith
monitors the activities of hate groups in Canada and
documents all reported incidents of anti-Semitism. The
Audit of Anti-Semitic Incidents, published annually since
1982 by the League for Human Rights, is a major vehicle for
reporting our findings to the public.

In 1995, incidents of anti-Semitism continued to become more
diffuse in nature. Whereas trends in hatred and bigotry
directed at Canada's Jews between 1991 and 1993 were linked
to specific activities, including the Gulf War and the rise
of the
Heritage Front and other neo-Nazi groups in Canada,
the last two years have seen a more random pattern of anti-
Semitism in this country.

Despite the decline of organized hate activity, several
"mainstream" incidents of anti-Semitism in the last year
proved to be equally disturbing. In September, two Toronto-
based radio broadcasters made overtly anti-Semitic
comments over the public airwaves. Although both
commentators apologized for their remarks, the fact that
they felt comfortable enough to air their biased views, as
did several journalists in various communities and on
campuses across the country, is a matter of serious concern
for Canadian Jews.

In October and November, the Quebec referendum also produced
a flurry of bigotry directed at the non-Francophone
population of the province. Jacques Parizeau, who was then
premier of Quebec, lashed out at "the ethnic vote" for the
narrow losses of his separatist forces. In earlier stages
of the referendum campaign, Pierre Bourgault, a
communications advisor to Parizeau, cryptically warned
Quebec Jews of "a dangerous situation" if they openly
supported the federalist side.

The significance of these events cannot be overstated.
While the comments made by the politicians or the
broadcasters were by no means as virulently intolerant as
the charged rhetoric of the neo-Nazi right, their remarks
served as signals that expressions of hatred and bias
against Jews and other minorities were acceptable in
contemporary Canadian culture. For political leaders and
media personalities to espouse views hostile to Jews gives a
message to the general population: anti-Semitism continues
to be part of the canon of our culture. The press and
politicians set the tone and terms of debate in our free and
democratic state. They have the responsibility to condemn,
not to promote, racism. Unfortunately, in 1995, this ideal
was seriously compromised.

Despite these cases, positive steps have been made in
fighting anti-Semitism, racism and bigotry in Canada this
year. The influence and impact of neo-Nazi groups continues
to sputter as a result of the legal troubles of many of the
movement's leaders and by a lack of available money. In
1995,
George Burdi,
Dan Sims and
Wolfgang Droege all served
time in jail, which served to hamper the recruitment efforts
of the racist-right.

New legislation, including the controversial Bill C-41,
passed the House of Commons and the Senate, clearing the way
for sentence enhancement for perpetrators of hate-motivated
crimes. This law recognizes
the serious impact of crimes directed at minority
communities, and provides for penalties which reflect the
increased severity of the offenses.

Despite these positive developments, Holocaust denier
Ernst Zundel is continuing his worldwide distribution of anti-Semitic books, tracts and electronic broadcasts from his
headquarters in downtown Toronto. The pace of spreading
hate and Holocaust denial via the Internet is speeding up,
and Jewish-owned homes and businesses, as well as schools
and synagogues, continue to be targets for vandalism and
harassment.

The annual Audit of Anti-Semitic Incidents has been praised
by community organizations, police departments, and
government agencies from across Canada as a valuable
resource in the battle against racism and hate activity. By
providing an analysis of the nature and extent of reported
anti-Semitic activity in Canada, the Audit provides a model
for data collection and analysis, and helps guide decisions
in resource allocation, legislative development, and plans
for formal educational initiatives to confront racist
attitudes and to sensitize all Canadians to the problems of
hatred and intolerance.

This site is intended for educational purposes to teach about the Holocaust and
to combat hatred.
Any statements or excerpts found on this site are for educational purposes only.

As part of these educational purposes, Nizkor may
include on this website materials, such as excerpts from the writings of racists and antisemites. Far from approving these writings, Nizkor condemns them and
provides them so that its readers can learn the nature and extent of hate and antisemitic discourse. Nizkor urges the readers of these pages to condemn racist
and hate speech in all of its forms and manifestations.